Fastening device



Jan. 28, 1964 w. A. BEDFORD, JR 3,119,490

FASTENING DEVICE Filed Jan. 8, 1962 Fla-1. 4-. 1a T o go 16 EN z; 32 i L /l K I I 2a W INVEA/ITER.

ILL/AM EDF'ORDJIB, Brmw ATTK United States Patent 3,119,490 FASTENING DEVKCE William A. Redford, in, 51% Bowman Drive, Littleton, Coio. Filed Jan. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 164,696 2 Claims. (Q1. 206-53) This invention relates generally to fastening devices, and has particular reference to a clip adapted to secure the end of a strip of material such as motion picture film or the like in a predetermined position on a reel on which it is wound.

Motion picture film of the type ordinarily used by nonprofessionals is customarily supplied in a width of 16 mm., and is split during processing and returned to the customer in a width of 8 mm., wound on a reel of suitable size. There is a considerable tendency, particularly in the case of new film, for the end of the film to unwind from the reel unless restrained. Several methods have been utilized to prevent such unwinding, however none has been found entirely satisfactory. Many of such devices can be used conveniently only with reels which are substantially filled with film, are diflicult or impossible to use with reels only partly full, since the narrow spacing between the reel flanges is too narrow to permit manipulation of the device by the fingers, and often darnages the end of the film, making it difficult to thread said end through projector mechanism and into a take-up reel.

The object of this invention is to provide a fastening device for the above purpose which is adapted to maintain the end of the film in an easily accessible position regardless of the amount of film on the reel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastening device for the above purpose which may be used with film reels of different widths.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fasten ng device for the above purpose which securely holds the end of the film without any possibility of crimping, severing or otherwise damaging said end.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastening device for the above purpose which permits tightening of the film on the reel without the necessity of disengaging the fastener from the reel.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a fastening device embodying the features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the device of FIG. 1 as seen from the right side;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 1;

PEG. 4 is a top plan view of the fastening device of FIGS. 13 assembled onto a reel which is substantially filled with film, with the end of the film being retained in the desired position by the fastening device;

FIG. 5 is a view in section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the fastening device of FIGS. 1-3 assembled onto a reel which is only partly filled with film.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a fastening device it, which is particularly adapted for use on a reel 12 of the type adapted to contain motion picture film 14, to prevent the end 16 of the film from unwinding, and to retain said end in a readily accessible position.

The fastening device may be formed of any suitable material such as metal or plastic, and comprises a reel gripping portion 18 and a film retaining portion 2t extending generally perpendicular thereto. The reel gripping portion 18 is adapted to be assembled onto the outer periphery of one side flange 22 of the reel, and for this purpose comprises a substantially straight leg 24 and a ice pair of resilient legs 26 which are disposed adjacent the opposite side edges of the leg 24, and are spaced from the plane thereof a predetermined distance depending on the thickness of the reel flange onto which it is to be assembled. Each resilient leg 26 is inclined toward the plane of the straight leg, and to facilitate assembly onto the edge of the reel flange, terminates in an outwardly inclined end portion 28.

The film retaining portion 20 comprises a pair of arms 39 which extend generally perpendicular to the straight leg 24, and are separated by a slot 32 to receive the film therebetween as will appear hereinafter.

The device it may be readily assembled onto a reel which is substantially full by pressing the reel gripping portion 18 onto the edge of the reel flange so that the straight leg 24 passes between the film and the flange and the flange is gripped between the resilient legs 26 and the straight leg 24. When so assembled the arms 34) extend across the width of the reel toward the opposite flange, and preferably have a length such that they terminate in spaced relation to the opposite flange. Thereafter the end of the film may be inserted into the slot 32 so that the film passes over the nearest of the arms 30 and under the other. If the device 10 is disposed in the proper position in relation to the end of the film, said end will be retained within the periphery of the reel flanges.

The device it is equally adapted for use with a reel which is only partly filled with film as illustrated in FIG. 6. In such case the end of the film is led radially outwardly and assembled with the arms 30 in the manner previously described.

In either case, the device maintains the end of the film at the periphery of the reel flanges, where it is readily accessible, regardless of the amount of film in the reel.

In the preferred embodiment, the width of the slot 32 is substantially greater than the film thickness, so that the end of the film may be readily assembled and retained between the arms without any possibility of crimping or severing any portion of said end, with the resilience of the film serving to provide sufficient frictional engagement with the arms 30 to retain the film in assembly therewith.

Since certain obvious changes may be made in the device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fastening device for use with a reel on which material can be wound between spaced apart flanges of the reel to terminate in an exposed free end, said fastening device including a material retaining portion for supporting said free end of the material, and a reel flange gripping portion joined to said material retaining portion for mounting said material retaining portion on one of the reel flanges of a reel in a substantially fixed position about the periphery of the one reel flange, said material retaining portion comprising spaced apart legs defining a slot adapted to receive said free end of said material, said legs extending from said reel flange gripping portion toward the other of the reel flanges of a reel, said flange gripping portion supporting said material retaining portion in a fixed position radially of the one reel flange and adjacent the outer peripheral edge thereof whereby said material retaining portion supports said free end of the material adjacent the outer peripheral edge of said one reel flange.

2. A fastening device for use with a reel on which material can be wound between spaced apart flanges of the reel to terminate in an exposed free end, said fastening device including a material retaining portion for supporting said free end of said material, and a reel flange gripping portion integral with said material retaining por tion and extending at substantially right angles therefrom, said reel flange gripping portion comprising spaced apart resi-ient legs adapted to receive the peripheral edge of one of the reel flanges of a reel to support said material retaining portion in a substantially fixed position about the periphery of the one reel flange and substantially perpendicular to said one reel flange, said material retaining portion comprising spaced apart legs extending from said flange gripping portion toward the other of the reel flanges of a reel and defining a slot adapted to receive said free end of said material, said spaced apart legs of said material retaining portion each terminating adjacent said other of the reel flanges whereby said siot is open at the end thereof adjacent said other reel flange to facilitate introducing said free end of said material into said slot, the line of junction between said material retaining portion and said reel flange gripping portion being adjacent the outer peripheral edge of said one reel flange when said fastening device is mounted on said reel, whereby said material retaining portion is supported by said reel flange gripping portion in a fixed position radially of said one reel flange adjacent the outer peripheral edge thereof for said material retaining portion to support said free end of the material adjacent the outer peripheral edge of said one reel flange.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,177,636 Kuehn Apr. 4, 1916 2,273,701 Funke Feb. 17, 1942 2,301,392 Funke Nov. 10, 1942 

2. A FASTENING DEVICE FOR USE WITH A REEL ON WHICH MATERIAL CAN BE WOUND BETWEEN SPACED APART FLANGES OF THE REEL TO TERMINATE IN AN EXPOSED FREE END, SAID FASTENING DEVICE INCLUDING A MATERIAL RETAINING PORTION FOR SUPPORTING SAID FREE END OF SAID MATERIAL, AND A REEL FLANGE GRIPPING PORTION INTEGRAL WITH SAID MATERIAL RETAINING PORTION AND EXTENDING AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES THEREFROM, SAID REEL FLANGE GRIPPING PORTION COMPRISING SPACED APART RESILIENT LEGS ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE PERIPHERAL EDGE OF ONE OF THE REEL FLANGES OF A REEL TO SUPPORT SAID MATERIAL RETAINING PORTION IN A SUBSTANTIALLY FIXED POSITION ABOUT THE PERIPHERY OF THE ONE REEL FLANGE AND SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR TO SAID ONE REEL FLANGE, SAID MATERIAL RETAINING PORTION COMPRISING SPACED APART LEGS EXTENDING FROM SAID FLANGE GRIPPING PORTION TOWARD THE OTHER OF THE REEL FLANGES OF A REEL AND DEFINING A SLOT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE SAID FREE END OF SAID MATERIAL, SAID SPACED APART LEGS OF SAID MATERIAL RETAINING PORTION EACH TERMINATING ADJACENT SAID OTHER OF THE REEL FLANGES WHEREBY SAID SLOT IS OPEN AT THE END THEREOF ADJACENT SAID OTHER REEL FLANGE TO FACILITATE INTRODUCING SAID FREE END OF SAID MATERIAL INTO SAID SLOT, THE LINE OF JUNCTION BETWEEN SAID MATERIAL RETAINING PORTION AND SAID REEL FLANGE GRIPPING PORTION BEING ADJACENT THE OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID ONE REEL FLANGE WHEN SAID FASTENING DEVICE IS MOUNTED ON SAID REEL, WHEREBY SAID MATERIAL RETAINING PORTION IS SUPPORTED BY SAID REEL FLANGE GRIPPING PORTION IN A FIXED POSITION RADIALLY OF SAID ONE REEL FLANGE ADJACENT THE OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE THEREOF FOR SAID MATERIAL RETAINING PORTION TO SUPPORT SAID FREE END OF THE MATERIAL ADJACENT THE OUTER PERIPHERAL EDGE OF SAID ONE REEL FLANGE. 